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3/2/14

Look what we did!

Wednesday, 2/26 Public Hearing, Loudoun Government Center

Saturday, 3/1 Public Hearing, School Administration Building

We had a great turnout for the public hearings Wednesday and Saturday. The speakers in support of our schools were wonderful and well-informed. In all three hearings, around 125 people spoke. About a hundred of those spoke in support of fully funding the school budget. Only about a dozen spoke against it.

But as is expected to continue this evening, the schools budget dominated the afternoon session of almost 20 speakers, with many people saying they were willing to pay more money in taxes to get the schools additional funding.“I am not a wealthy man, I pay my mortgage with two jobs, but I have no problem paying more taxes for [my son’s] education,” Leesburg resident Scott Copeland said.“I don’t have kids in schools but my property values are tied to the public schools,” Sterling District resident Steven Hall said. “…we have the money and think we should use it for our schools.”

The Board of Supervisors room was awash in red last night as speaker after speaker urged supervisors to adopt a tax rate that would fully fund the School Board requested budget—and audience members held up red signs saying “Support Our Schools,” “Fund Their Future” and “Fully Fund Our Schools.”

As the Board of Supervisors closed its final public hearing on the FY14 budget Saturday, the overwhelming message from those who came out to speak was clear: fully fund the School Board’s request for Loudoun County Public Schools.

Thank you to all who took the time to come out and especially those who had the courage to speak. If you did speak, please consider sending it to loudounbudget@loudoun.gov. It'd be lovely if you would share it in the comments here and/or on the Support Our Schools Facebook page.

It remains to be seen if the Board will listen to their constituents. The School Board did.